Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee vs Dance Fly with Feathered Legs

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee Dance Fly with Feathered Legs
Scientific Name Hylaeus longiceps Rhamphomyia sulcata
Order Hymenoptera Diptera
Family Colletidae Empididae
Size 7-10 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Rivers & Streams
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Oceania (Hawaii) Europe
Conservation Endangered Least Concern

Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee

An endemic Hawaiian bee with distinctive yellow facial markings, found in dry coastal and lowland habitats. It nests in hollow plant stems and beetle borings. Hawaiian Hylaeus are the only bees native to the Hawaiian Islands.

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Did You Know?

Hawaiian yellow-faced bees were the first bees in the United States to be listed under the Endangered Species Act, in 2016.

Dance Fly with Feathered Legs

A small dance fly where females have distinctive feathered or pennate leg scales used to attract males. Females inflate their abdomen to appear larger during swarming displays.

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Did You Know?

In a rare reversal, females are the ornamented sex, using feathered legs and inflated abdomens to compete for males.